i've been incorporating a new recovery technique into my regime, epsom salt baths! my mother used to always say that sore feet could be solved by soaking in epsom salt. i dug a little further. epsom salt, or hydrated magnesium sulfate, can be absorbed through the skin and has been known to, among many other things, reduce muscle soreness and inflammation. so i decided to try for myself. what better excuse to use my new claw foot tub???
the first time i tried it was after 5 x5 back squats at 175 pounds, i was starting to feel sore before i even got home! i drew a hot bath and put probably 2 cups (i didn't measure) into the water and let it dissolve. i checked the clock and geared up for 10-15 minutes. unless you have a VERY deep tub, use a face cloth to soak your upper back and shoulders. when you are done, don't rinse, just towel dry.
i don't know if the placebo effect has a strong hold on me, but i swear this made my recovery so much quicker! i found a big carton of epsom salt at my regular grocer for just about $5. you don't need anything fancy, straight up epsom salt should do the trick. but if you're feeling frisky, they make lavender scented, which might be nice before bed or eucalyptus mint. my friend Kelly hooked me up with some amazing scents for Christmas. white tea is my favorite.
George on the Vineyard... we love baths!
here are a bunch of other interesting uses for epsom salt: face cleanser, foot scrubs, splinter removal and more.
so after your next heavy strength day and after your sweet potato, try an epsom salt bath!!
what do YOU do to aid recovery? a big post workout meal? fish oil?
this may or may not be the best part about blogging. here are some of the most interesting (and hilarious) keywords people have used to find my blog via Google:
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any of you bloggers out there get any crazy search keywords?
working on my overhead squat. this was 95 pounds that i got for a few reps for 5 sets or so....
practicing my handstand push range of motion. i need to get a shorter ball and work on my hollow position. i'm not yet at a full range of motion, so i'm working in increments.
BACK SQUAT--here are my 2 reps at 190. very close to my goal of 200 pounds. be sure to check out my coach's youtube channel for lots of other videos....
some of my favorite workouts that i have done recently:
5 rounds of 400m run and 15 pushups--running has always been hard for me. this was a good workout because the distance isn't too long and i can run without stopping each round. the pushups were like a rest period for me.
8 rounds of 30 second handstand hold (against the wall) and 10 air squats-- i like this one because you can do it at home in less than 10 minutes. it took me just 7 minutes and some change. what a shoulder burner!
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 reps of dumbell swings, push ups and a 200m run-- this workout was done with a partner, only one person is working at a time. the rest time is pretty substantial in the beginning but gets shorter as you go on.
scaled version of the 11.5 Crossfit Open WOD7 min AMRAP of 5 Power cleans (75#), 7 knees to elbows and 10 wallballs (12#)-- this was so much fun! power cleans are my absolute favorite. i'm pretty sure i got just about 7 rounds on this one.
the deadlift. once a favorite lift of mine has become an increasing and frustrating thorn in my side. after this post about my goals for the future, i received a little bit of flack and concern on my form. i got defensive at first thinking, why is this the first i'm hearing about it? why was i approached by a powerlifting team to compete? then went back to basics questions everything i was taught and everything i thought i knew. i sort of went into panic mode. i decided to work on some accessory work to help keep my lower back locked out at my setup and preventing any rounding; back extensions, sitting at the bottom of a squat fighting my chest back, supermans, GHD sit ups, etc.
i dream about this at night...
mark dropped down my deadlift weights and we really focused on my form. i felt like a beginner! i struggled with weights that were normally a warm up! we eliminated 'touch-and-go' deadlifts and reset after each rep. each rep felt impossible.
reading some comments on WODs involving deadlifts on the mainsite, i've noticed people critiquing top elite athlete's form as their backs round under heavy weights. i watched millions of deadlift form and powerlifting videos from multiple sources. my conclusion off the information i've gathered over the past month is this: obviously when you are competing and trying to pull as much weight as possible, your form is going to suffer a little. on the other hand, everyday lifts and training should be done with (as close to) perfect form as you can get. strive to get perfect form when training everyday. it may be with a lower weight than you're used to and you (AKA me) might get served up a big fat slice of humble pie, but it's better for you and your strength in the long run.
i'm scheduled to compete in a powerlifting meet on December 12. (the meet from September was cancelled) i'm training for the deadlifts with a fully extended back at lower weights. i plan on getting as close as possible to my old 1RM as possible. the squats and bench press are another story...
2 nights ago i did 2 sets of deadlifts with 175 pounds and they felt amazing! from what coach told me, they looked better and SAFE too. i'm feeling a little more positive and confident about them now... hopefully this is a sign of better things to come.
p.s. also this is my coach's youtube channel were he puts videos from class... check it out!
my training has changed a little bit over the past month or two. we have cut down on met-cons (i'll admit i have a slight addiction to them) and incorporated more gymnastic and body weight movements as well as lots of body control. handstands, headstands, bridge holds and walks, ring holds, ring L-sits, skin the cat, lever progressions and pistols have become the majority of our training. we have also been working on wrist mobility and strength à la Ido Portal. we still do a heavy lift day of squats and deadlifts, and i will be adding a heavy bench press lifting day this week too.
even in the short time of doing these movements i have noticed increased strength in other lifts and some slight body composition changes. here is a photo i took today of my stomach:
obviously not miranda's abs, but definitely going in the right direction. i have to be honest, i had an ENORMOUS breakfast before this photo was taken, so i can only imagine what it would have looked like if i had displayed some portion control.
my conclusion: this bodyweight/gymnastic stuff works! even in the short time we have been doing it, i have improved on almost every movement.
here is a sequence of movements we have also incorporated into our training...
we did a crossfit endurance wod saturday morning... 12 rounds of 1:00 intervals with 30 seconds of rest in between rounds. once you learn POSE and run like that for a while, it becomes second nature. heel striking feels very out of place.
PWO i made a BIG breakfast... i didn't plan on eating much later in the day. 5 eggs scrambled with cherry tomatoes and shallots, 2 small apples w/ a couple tablespoons of almond butter and water.
wednesday night at the gym was deadlifts followed by a short met-con.
my top set i pulled 240# three times. we changed up how we did deadlifts a little, by stopping and resetting at the bottom.... making them so much harder!! i guess i never realized how much that bounce helps me...
clearly not my best look... this was rep 3 at 240#
then it was time for the met-con:
9-6-3
overhead squats
100 yard run
i was really impressed with myself when i snatched the weight up on the first try... not so successful with that in round two.
i stayed in POSE the entire run, something that has taken me a long time to perfect... and i use that term VERY loosely.
goals have always been a tough thing for me. i never want to overshoot and let myself down, but then again, i've never been one to go 'easy' on myself either...
i find the timeline of my goals is the hardest part. i tried to keep my goals difficult, but still attainable.
1. deadlift 300 pounds. i currently can lift 230 pounds 8 times (see video below). don't let that come across at all humble... i'm freaking PSYCHED!! i don't care if i can only lift 300 pounds once or twice, i want to be able to lift 300 pounds off the ground and put it back down with good form.
2. ONE freaking, measly pull up! this is by far THE most frustrating thing to me. i'm not sure why it is taking me over a year and a half but it has. i mean, i've definitely come a long way from where i started, but that's not good enough for me! i need my chin over that damn bar!
3. sub 30 minute 5K. i dont think i'm too far off from this, but i haven't tested myself in a while. it could be worse than i think... running has NEVER been a strength of mine. it's not fun for me. i'd love to get to the point where i can actually say i enjoy running, but let's be real here...
4. 2 words: MIRANDA OLDROYD. in a perfect world i'd love to look like her. i feel like she is the perfect mix of badass and femininity. seriously, google her! but what this really gets down to is a lower body fat %. now i dont know what miranda's BF% is, but based on her height and weight of 5'6 and 140 pounds, i know i have some work to do. i'm 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier... i think a good goal is 19%.
5. 200 pound back squat. i'm almost there. again, just one rep would be killer, but i wouldn't hate 2 or 3...
i think it's very important to always have and reaccess goals. otherwise, what are you doing here?? what are you working towards??
"A goal properly set is halfway reached." - Abraham Lincoln
i had a wonderful surprise date lunch with my mother, sister-in-law and handsome 11 month old nephew. we decided on the cheesecake factory. what a menu! i ended up choosing the chicken tostada salad. i should have known something was up when i asked for a lunch portion and she told me they didn't have one...
holy cats! i barely even finished a third of it. i thought it was a pretty OK choice, i ate around the beans, had just a couple bites of the corn tostada, and loaded up on the chicken. it was lightly dressed in an avocado dressing. i didn't even end up eating for the rest of the day...
we did heavy squats last night. on my top set i squatted 155 (?) 11 times. yeah, i was shocked too. sometimes i don't know where it comes from. i've really got in tune with my breathing when i'm lifting. just when i think i can't get another rep in, i take the biggest breath i can, hold it, and squat. amazing.
umm i squatted this eleven times....????
i came home to an amazing meal AND a clean kitchen. george whipped up a (paleo) beef and broccoli stir fry. i couldn't be prouder.
after a full 8 hour work day, a 1+ hour salon appointment and several errands, it was our only option to grab something for dinner out. Chili's seemed like a safe choice...
i chose the chicken fajitas and asked the waitress not to bring the tortillas and add guacamole.
i have been a member of the 'clean your plate club' for 20+ years now...
early saturday morning we had a deadlift/pull up strength workout followed but 3 rounds of 5 burpees, 10 DB swings (35#) and 300m run. my deadlifts felt great. my top set i pulled 210# 8 times! i think it was due in part to my new crossfit gear :)
in april of 2009 i did my first crossfit workout. it was something with dumbbell squat cleans and push ups. i had just gotten my ass kicked in front of complete strangers and was instantly addicted.
the following month i was introduced to the paleo diet. i hate that word. but i'm truly in love with paleo. it has changed my outlook on literally everything. sometimes i feel like the father from my big fat greek wedding. he thought windex fixed everything, but for me, paleo fixes everything. acne? common cold? bad mood? gas? mentally cloudy? people think i'm crazy, but PALEO FIXES EVERYTHING!! i have never looked, felt, or performed better in my entire life. i'm in better shape at 25 than i was at 18.
i have eaten 90-95% strict paleo since may 2009. the first couple weeks were hard. i was tired, emotional, hungry, and felt like i was in a fog. but i stuck with it, and after 4 weeks i felt amazing. i began to research more and more and i liked what i saw. it made sense to me. i am by no means a paleo expert but, we are not genetically adapted to eat the modern food that is put in front of us today. in the grand scheme of things, 10,000 years (beginning of the agricultural revolution) isn't that long of a time period. our bodies couldn't have possibly evolved fast enough to start digesting and processing this new food. we just weren't built like that!
i stick to what our bodies were built to consume and process: meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit and little starch.
the new and improved food pyramid. ssshh don't tell the american dietetic association!
contrary to what some believe, i do have a social life. it may be scheduled around workouts and food, but i still have one. if i go out with friends for a special occasion or to a family gathering, i go with the flow. i don't want to be THAT girl. " i can't eat this", "what's in that?", "who made this?", "does that have dairy?" i just try to make the best choice i can in the situation i'm in. i feel that being mentally healthy is just as important, if not more, than being physically healthy... and if that means getting an ice cream on a hot summer night or having a beer with friends, then so be it. obviously those ice creams and beers are rare, but having something to look forward to keeps me--and probably George--sane.
when i do go off my regularly scheduled programming, my body lets me know. gluten and wheat products affect me the most. to me, a slice of pizza isn't worth being stuck in the bathroom for an hour and having a severe food hangover the following day.
a normal day for me looks like this:
breakfast: eggs, bacon, and a handful of berries. i had my first scrambled egg June 3rd, 2009 and i haven't looked back since.
lunch: usually leftovers from the night before or a big salad with chicken or a tin of tuna on top. i dress a salad usually with a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
PWO (post work out): i usually don't feel like eating real food after a work out, so i'll have a scoop of optimum nutrition natural whey. that starts my recovery until i've had a chance to get home, settled and ready to eat a real meal. obviously cavemen weren't drinking whey protein after a long hike through the desert, but it works for me. i chose this brand because it's all natural and has no artificial sweeteners.
supper: usually a hunk of meat and some vegetables.
if i'm really craving a sweet after supper i'll have frozen berries with some heavy cream over the top. what do i drink? water and maybe a cup of black coffee twice a week.
september 2007 @ about 185 pounds
late 2007 i weighed 186 pounds. i currently weigh between 158-160. i've never been stronger and i'm only looking to the future.
july 2010 @ about 160 pounds with a few visible abs...???
i'm eating between 1,400 and 1,800 calories a day. i'm getting about 100 grams of protein a day. i perform at my best on a high fat-high protein diet. i've finally found what works for me.
"...we’ve seen that we don’t reject neolithic foods solely on the basis that caveman didn’t have them, but prefer to have evidence as to the health effects of our food choices." -thepaleodiet.net
i warmed up with 125# and 165#. i went for max reps at 205#. i got 9 reps!! a cool down set at 185# for 10 reps. at this point my back was feeling pretty toasty :)
deadlift file photo of me. not taken today.
i'm not yet at a real dead hang pull up. i'm still using the mini assistance bands. i did the same weight/rep scheme like the deads. my august 21 goal of 2 kipping pull ups is fast approaching. if i fail? 100 burpees for time... UGH.
met-con (from the CF mainsite)
"SQT"
Three rounds for time of:
60 pound Ground to overhead, 10 reps
200 yard Shuttle sprint, 50 yards there and back twice
